Facebook users donate over $10 million for Nepal earthquake relief

The world we live in is still left with humanity, Facebook users have proved it by generously donating over $10 million to company’s Nepal relief fund, that too with in two days of Facebook launching donate button. This was recently announced by none other than Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg in an official Facebook post.

The Himalayan kingdom was rattled by a potent earthquake measuring 7.9 on richter scale on April 25. This powerful quake brought down many heritage sites and has caused over 6,600 deaths and injured more than 10,000. Over half a million users donated $10 million to support International Medical Corps, a global organisation involved in relief efforts in Nepal.

Facebook going by its promise has decided to donate an additional $2 million for the aid of Nepal quake victims. So a handsome sum of $12 million will be donated for this noble cause.

Facebook’s ‘Safety Check’ button launched in October last year, helped around 7 million people in Nepal to post their safety and location status during this disaster. This feature has added another feather in the Facebook’s cap by uniting relatives and friends during times of distress.

Below you can read Mark Zuckerberg’s full post on Facebook:

We’ve seen our community come together in some amazing ways since the earthquake in Nepal. We activated Safety Check and more than 7 million people in the area have been marked as safe. More than 150 million friends were notified and those updates let people rest easier and relief efforts remain focused.

We gave people the option on Facebook to support local relief efforts. In two days, more than half a million people donated and raised more than $10 million to support the International Medical Corps relief effort. Facebook will donate an additional $2 million to local recovery efforts to help those in affected areas.

In times of crisis, the need to connect and share becomes even more critical. WhatsApp and Messenger are being used in Nepal and across the region to get help. Aid workers are using Groups to coordinate and figure out how to get to affected areas. Journalists and media outlets are using Instagram as their primary way to share photos of the events.

It is inspiring to see our community coming together to help people in their time of need. We’re grateful to be serving you, and for all your efforts to support those affected by the Nepal earthquake.